Break Us Down
by xgoodxgirlxgonexbadx
Summary: It's only been a matter of months since Gwen's untimely death. Peter is struggling to move on with his life and Mary Jane is just trying to get a better one. The two of them have grown up next door to each other but they have never really been friends. At least until recently and now they find themselves getting attached to one another..without meaning to.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I finally caved and decided to write a Spiderman fanfiction. I just saw TASM 2 and was blown away. Honestly, I love that movie and it gave me a lot of ideas. I will be writing another fan fiction centered around Harry Osbourn. Anyways I just wanted to post this and see if anyone wants me to continue! This will be a fic centered around Mary Jane and Peter Parker! I just hope you guys like it! And thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!**

Mary Jane can't remember the last time she attended a funeral. All she knows right now is that she part of a sea of black. Everyone is walking away from where Gwen Stacey will be buried. She can't help but notice Gwen's mother and two brothers. All three of them have lost two members of their family in such a short amount of time. She can only imagine the kind of pain that they are feeling. Pain is something that she is familiar with but it's a different kind of pain. The kind that stems from an angry alcoholic father and not from losing someone that you love.

Part of her thinks she should go up to them to tell them how sorry she is. Yet she has the feeling that all three of them have heard that word enough. Plus she knows that the word sorry doesn't really mean anything. It's just something people say because they think it's appropriate. Its a word she herself heard over and over when her mother took off all those years ago. Its a word that she heard even more when certain people found out about what her father was like behind closed doors. Too often she's heard that word and now whenever she hears it, it just makes her angry.

She doubts that Gwen's mother would even remember her anyway. Gwen and her were once friends back in high school. However they had drifted apart like some people just do. There were a few times during their senior year that they spent time together. Gwen tutored her in math since that was always Mary Jane's weakest subject. Her eyes glance around as she watches the people walking away. A few bump into her but no one bothers saying excuse me. She doesn't mind or care at that moment.

After a few seconds tick by Mary Jane knows she should move. However it's like something is keeping her in place. She feels like such an idiot standing there, frozen in place. She takes a deep breath before shaking her head at her own thoughts. Finally after another few minutes go by she forces herself to move. She's turns around slowly only to come face to face with Peter Parker. To put it simply he looks like an absolute mess. He stumbles back before they actually bump into each other.

"Peter," she breathes out his name, feeling unsure if she should even try to speak with him.

The two of them grew up living next door to each other. The only time they ever really talked was when they both were taking out the garbage at the same time. Sometimes she'd talk with his Aunt May outside on the porch. Other than that, the two of them have never really been friends.

She knows that he was in a relationship with Gwen and can only imagine what he's going through. Everyone that attended mid town science could see that the two of them were in love, actually in love. They weren't like other couples who said that word to each other but didn't really mean it.

His head lifts after a few seconds as if he has just realized someone is speaking to him. His eyes briefly meet hers before they go right back down to the ground. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets and he doesn't seem to want to say anything. She doesn't know if she should just walk away or try to say something. Conversation is pointless at a time like this, especially something as trivial as small talk.

Before she can even take a step to walk around him, his hand shoots out to grasp her forearm. His touch makes her entire body freeze up. All she does is stand there and stare at his fingers that are holding onto her arm. He looks like he wants to say something but he can't find the words. So the two of them just stand there, his hand on her arm and the both of them staring down at it.

"I know that saying I'm sorry won't mean anything to you," whispers Mary Jane, unable to take the silence anymore," But I am truly sorry, Gwen was one of the best people I've ever met, I know you love her and I know she loved you, I can only imagine what you are feeling. I know that we were never really friends but I'm..here if you need to talk."

She doesn't know why she felt the need to say any of that. Let alone say that she's there if he needs to talk. Like he would want to talk to someone he barely knows! He nods and opens his mouth as if he is going to speak but nothing comes out. He clamps his lips shut and finally releases her. Her arm drops to her side and she glances behind her towards Gwen's mother who is now looking at Peter.

Mary Jane instantly knows that her's cue to leave. She inhales sharply and without thinking leans in to wrap her arms around Peter. He visibly tenses but his arms don't lift to go around her. She expects something like that so she doesn't say anything. After a few seconds go by she releases him before she begins to walk away. As she reaches the gates she can't help but glimpse over her shoulder to see Peter being engulfed in a hug by Gwen's grief stricken mother.

The next time she sees Peter is a few months after the funeral. She is on her way home from yet another audition. The subway is jam packed with people, all of them dripping wet from the storm. There is no where for her to sit so she reaches above her head to grab onto the pole above. Her free hand pushes the wet strands of hair from her face. She already knows she didn't get the part. Her evening will probably consist of her eating Ben and Jerry's while moping.

She ignores everyone else around her, just wanting to get home. Of course when she gets home she knows she will probably have to lock herself in her room. There's no way in hell her dad isn't already drunk. It's well past three in the afternoon and she knows for a fact that there was a twenty pack of beer in the fridge. Chances are it's probably gone already and he bought something else on the way home. It'll be another night of yelling and fists being pounded against her door.

The train stops and the doors open to allow more people on and to let people off. Her body sways and her grip on the pole above tightens. There's the shifting of bodies, some people pushing past her to get off. Others going to claim the now vacant seats. She's suddenly squished between two bodies and she tries not to groan out loud.

She tries to shift only to trip over her own two feet. Her body goes plummeting down only to be caught around the waist. She lifts her head to see Peter is the one who rescued her from falling. The look on his face is impassive. Part of her wishes that he was smiling but she has the feeling he doesn't have a whole lot to smile about. Than again, who does in this day and age?

The doors slide shut and the train lurches as it begins to move once more. Peter helps her stand upright before leading her over to some empty seats. Once she sits, he glances around before he lowers himself onto the seat next to hers. She places her messenger bag in her lap before she dares look over at him again.

"Thanks for that," she states, motioning towards the place where she almost fell," That would have been really embarrassing."

He shrugs as if it was nothing and to her shock, he speaks," It's nothing, honestly."

After that neither one of them speaks. They just sit there in silence, staring ahead of them. It's odd to say at the least. There are more stops and she knows that they are getting off at the same one. Will he walk with her? Or will they just walk their own separate ways? She knows its silly to worry about something as stupid as that but she can't help it.

"I'm sorry," says Peter suddenly, breaking the uneasy silence," For how I acted at the funeral, I know I must have freaked you out a little."

She notices how he is looking everywhere but at her and she doesn't blame him. She shrugs as if it was nothing," It's fine, you weren't..in the best state of mind."

He nods, grateful that she has brushed it off already," Yeah, I wasn't, I still..sometimes feel like I'm not."

He looks surprised that he even admitted that. Mary Jane nods since she kind of understands what he's saying. However she doesn't know what to say to him so she keeps quiet. Her fingers absently mess with the strap of her bag, untwisting it.

"I saw you a few weeks ago," he suddenly says," You were with Flash at a diner."

Mary Jane can't help but look at him in surprise. She knows exactly what he was talking about. Flash had given her a call out of the blue, asking her to meet up. They briefly dated back in high school but she was the one to end things. She knew that it wasn't going anywhere. On some level they are still friends but not the type to see each other all the time.

"Are you two..still together?" he asks to her confusion.

Than she remembers that Peter was often one of the people that Flash bullied during high school. He probably saw the two of them together from time to time. Gwen also tutored Flash just like she turned Mary Jane. She shakes her head slowly, her teeth catching onto her bottom lip.

"No," she says finally," We broke up just before graduation, I knew it wasn't going to last so there was no point in pretending."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she says instantly without having to think about it," I'm not."

Another few seconds go by before she speaks again," So how's your Aunt May doing? I noticed she is wearing scrubs a lot now whenever I do see her."

He shrugs and shifts so that he's actually facing her," She's going to school to become a nurse so she can pay for me to go to college."

Peter knows how lucky he is to have someone like her. A lot of people wouldn't go to such lengths to help their children. He knows that not everyone has someone like May in their life. She's his mother even if she wasn't the one that gave birth to him.

"Oh, where are you going to school?"

"I got into Empire State."

Mary Jane's eyes widen as soon as she hears his words. He is going to be attending Empire State? She shakes her head somewhat in disbelief without thinking about what she's doing.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

It takes her a few seconds to realize he's staring.

"That's where I am going to be going to school as well."

He stares at her for a few seconds before he nods," At least I know someone else that is going there."

Their stop is announced and they both climb to their feet. Peter begins to weave his way through the doors with Mary Jane close behind. Together they step off the train and hurry up the steps. It's still raining as they reach the top of the steps. Instantly they are both drenched thanks to the constant onslaught of water pouring down from the gray sky.

Peter glances over at her before he looks up towards the sky. In one swift move he has taken off his hoodie. He throws it over her shoulders and pulls the hood up to cover her head. For some ungodly reason she didn't check the weather and didn't go out with a coat of some kind. She stares at him in surprise and goes to pull it off to hand it back to him. His hand stops hers before she can even grab the fabric.

"You'll get wet," she states, trying to pull her hand free.

"It's okay, I'll survive."

The tone of his voice and the look on his face shows that he will be. She sighs in frustration before she slips her arms into the sleeves. Her hand yanks the zipper up before they begin to walk. Every single time she takes a step her messenger bag smacks into her hip.

On their walk they don't say much. He talks about how he works for the daily bugle, taking pictures of Spiderman who has just recently returned. She remembers seeing the many reports on the news about the people of New York wondering where he had gone. Even the police department had questions about his sudden disappearance after that night when Electro was defeated. She tells him about how she has gotten a job at a bar and how she goes to auditions every chance she can.

Before they know it they have reached their homes. Mary Jane turns to face him and he does the same. Neither one of them knows what to say. It's back to feeling slightly awkward. Peter glances towards his front door before he looks back at her.

"I should get going," he motions towards his house," Aunt May asked me to pick up some eggs, she needs them for something she's baking I think."

Mary Jane nods, wishing that she had someone like Aunt May in her home waiting for her. Instead she has a bitter angry man who has probably drank himself into a coma.

"Right," she states, clasping her hands together in front of her," Well, it was good..talking to you Peter and thanks again for you know, catching me."

He nods before he begins to jog up his front steps. She watches as he unlocks the door before he heads inside. After she takes a deep breath and straightens her shoulders she walks up her own steps and inside.

Orientation for Empire State is packed. Mary Jane almost feels overwhelmed by it all. Of course she just feels lucky that she even got in and got the financial aid that she needed. If it wasn't for financial aid she knows that she would be stuck working to support herself and her father. She watches as people go brushing by, checking in and getting their forms.

She takes a deep breath before she walks up to the table. The guy sitting behind the desk has an ESU hoodie on. His name tag lets her know that his name is Jeremy. If she has to guess he's a senior or at least a junior.

He looks up at her and his mouth curves into a smile," Name please?"

"Mary Jane Watson."

Jeremy looks down at the papers in front of him, going through them all. His right hand poised with a pen. She waits somewhat impatiently for him to find her name. Finally after what feels like an eternity he finds it and checks it off. Soon she's being handed a name tag and some other forms, and being told to go to another table.

She makes a face as she puts the name tag on. It takes her a few seconds to find the right place, having to move the strap of her purse. The last time she wore a name tag was probably when she was in elementary school. After she goes to the next table she's told to go join the people waiting. There are plenty of her fellow freshmen scattered all about, sitting around. Some of them are on their cell phones, have ear buds in and others are talking to the people they know.

Before she can try to find a seat she feels a hand on her shoulder," Mary Jane."

Her head turns to be greeted by the sight of Peter. He actually looks better than the last time she saw him. The grey circles have vanished from his eyes. His hair is still all over the place but that was always normal for him. He just doesn't look as exhausted or destroyed. She glances towards his chest to see that he has a name tag on as well.

"Hey Peter," she says after a few seconds," I didn't know that you were going to be here."

"It looks like we signed up for the same orientation."

She glances around to see if his Aunt is with him. On the packet it said it was okay if your parent or guardian came with you. There are plenty of parents there with their children. Of course she wasn't stupid enough to think that her dad would come. As far as she knows he's still passed out on his armchair with the TV on. She doesn't know for sure since she took the safe route out of the house and used the back door. The garbage cans needed to be grabbed anyway so it worked for her.

"Want to stick with me today?" she asks, not wanting to be around a ton of strangers.

He shrugs and nods, his hands going into his pockets," Why not?"

Together they find a place to sit by the windows. There's a small amount of space between them, of course. They don't say much as they wait to find out what's going to happen next. Soon they are in line to have their photos taken for their student ID's.

"Are you staying in a dorm?" she asks, glancing behind her shoulder at him.

He nods though he doesn't look happy at the thought," May wanted me too, she said that it would be good for me, a good way to make friends..and all that."

Mary Jane has the feeling there is more to what he is saying but decides against pushing it," I wonder if they'll let us see the dorms that we'll be staying in."

"You're staying on campus too?"

She knows that he has heard the fights between her and her father. Part of her wonders why he's even asking since it's obvious why she is.

"Yeah, I am."

Eventually she's at the front of the line and she hands the woman the form. Her bag gets set on the counter before she goes to stand in front of the camera. After she pushes all of her hair onto one shoulder she forces herself to smile. The photo is snapped and she goes to grab her purse. She goes to stand to the side as Peter goes to get his photo taken.

He doesn't even make an effort to smile like almost everyone else. Instead he just stands there with a neutral expression on his face. She watches as the photo is taken before he joins her. Together they go to wait to be given their IDs. Once everyone has their IDs they are being divided into groups. Thankfully she and Peter end up in the same one.

Most of the day is spent being talked to by professors, a tour of the campus and than paper work. There is a lot of paper work involved. The day is almost over by the time they are picking out their classes for their first semester. Since she is majoring in theatre she chooses a lot of pre requistes that she needs for those classes. She can't help but glance at Peter's computer to see which classes he has chosen. It's not exactly a surprise to see most of the ones he's chosen are something to do with science.

He was second in their graduating class, Gwen being the first. She clicks save and goes to print her schedule out. Peter is still at his computer and it takes him a few seconds to pick his last class. Once he has it saved he goes to print his out as well. After that they are told they are free to go. Mary Jane almost doesn't want to leave because she doesn't want to go home.

"Did you maybe want to walk around campus?" asks Peter out of no where as they are walking down the hallway.

She tucks her schedule into her purse, making sure to zip it," Sure, I'd like that."

He nods and pushes open the door for her to let her walk out first. She steps outside and he is soon right beside her. They begin to walk but they don't have a destination in mind. Instead they just let their legs lead them. No one seems to pay them any mind. There are some older students around, taking summer classes.

They walk in silence for a while until they reach what looks like Brittany hall. It's the building that they both will be staying in. She motions for him to follow her before she goes inside. Peter can't help but shake his head before he goes inside. His eyes glance around at the place that will be his home in only a matter of weeks. He has no idea how he'll be able to pull off being Spiderman when he has to contend with a roommate.

"This place isn't too bad," she observes.

"Its not like home though."

"No, it's better."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay for reviews! I was so nervous about posting this since I have never written anything like this before! So I was so happy to see that people are interested after just the first chapter! Sorry I didn't get the chance to update sooner! I was out of town and I am actually on my bus heading back now. I am going to try to update on a daily basis, at least once every week! The chapters are also going to get longer as this progresses!Thank you guys for reading and of course, don't forget to review!**

* * *

Mary Jane can't help but feel excited the moment she looks over all the boxes. There aren't that many, only four. All of her clothes are jammed into her hamper and a very old duffel that has seen better days. It's move in day and she is so happy to be getting away from her own private hell. She knows that her dad is already gone otherwise he would have started yelling about how she couldn't leave. Even though he made it known he hated her, he didn't want her to leave. She knew that he only wants her around because he wants her to be as miserable as he is.

However she isn't going to let him ruin her life like he's ruined his. She reaches to place one of the boxes on top of the other. It takes her a second to grab a sharpie to scribble down what is in the boxes. After a few seconds she picks them up and begins to walk out of her room. Some people might have been upset or sad about leaving their childhood homes behind. Not her though since this place holds nothing but bad memories.

Memories like her father stumbling down the hallway in a druken haze. Memories of her father yelling at her when she accidentaly burnt his dinner. She can remember how he grabbed at her and she had to run outside to avoid him putting his hands on her. There are no happy memories of Thanksgiving or Christmas, of movie nights or pizza nights. All she remembers is running into her room and locking herself in to avoid the insanity.

She makes her way out to the cab that she called for. The driver is talking away on his phone and doesn't even look up. Thankfully he's already popped the trunk otherwise she would be in trouble. Just as she sets the boxes inside she feels a hand come down on her shoulder.

"What are you doing Mary Jane?"

It's Peter and he has a curious look on his face. She stares at him for a few seconds, wondering if he's being serious. He has to know that it's move in day.

"I'm about to head to campus after I load my stuff."

"Why don't you just let me help you out? Save your money for something like laundry or food."

"Are you sure?"

Mary Jane looks towards the cab driver who is still on his phone. He probably will be pissed if she tells him she doesn't need him anymore. Peter doesn't even answer her question. Instead he just reaches to grab the boxes like they are nothing. He balances them on one arm and slams the trunk shut. She can only stare as he slaps a twenty into the driver's hand before he ushers her towards the car parked in his driveway.

"Where's all your stuff?" she asks, peering into the backseat.

"I already dropped it off," he explains, shrugging," I had to take Aunt May to work so I figured I'd get my stuff in but I just had a few more things to grab."

"Well I have more stuff in the house," she motions towards her home," So I'll be right back."

She hopes that he won't follow her. No one has ever been in her own house. Whenever there was a sleepover of some kind Mary Jane always made sure it wasn't at her home. It was always at her friend's houses and whenever someone asked to stay at her own she told them no. Half the time she came up with some sort of lie about her dad being sick or how he was working. He didn't like people being there when he wasn't, that sort of deal.

One foot is in the front door when she feels someone behind her. That someone obviously being Peter Parker. He has followed her right up to the front door and he clearly intends on going inside. She turns to block him, her hands on either side of the doorframe.

"You don't need to come inside."

He stares at her in absolute confusion," It'll be faster if I just go in with you, less trips."

He figures that it will make sense. At least in his mind it does but not in hers. She shakes her head stubbornly and doesn't dare move. She doesn't want to give him the chance to move past her. Only because she has the feeling he would do it if he saw the chance.

"I can handle it."

"Mary Jane just let me come in."

"Peter," she hisses, her fingers digging into the doorframe," You don't have to."

Before she can even realize it he has grabbed her arm to pull it away. He steps inside right past her and she tries to stop him. Only he's already making his way through the shabby living room. Most of the furniture is old, second hand. Most of it looks like it's falling apart. There are countless stains from beer, blood and some food. Stuffing is coming out of her dad's faded orange recliner.

She notices how his eyes linger over everything before he keeps walking. She honestly doesn't know what to do but she wants to drag him out by his ear. Instead she just stands there in the middle of the living room, watching. He is looking into literally every single room. Every single room looks like it's falling apart, dirty. The only room that ever was in any kind of order was hers. Usually because she always locked the door to make sure that her dad never barged in.

The last thing that she wanted was to come home one day to see all of her stuff was ruined. She bites down on her lip when he walks into the hallway. He'll be able to see the blood stain on the wall, the one she wasn't able to get out. The one from the night she wasn't fast enough and her dad get ahold of her. He managed to slam her head against the wall like a basketball.

He is walking into her room and that's when she forces herself to move. He's just picking up the other boxes and he turns towards her. The look on his face isn't one of pity. Honestly she isn't sure what it is as she looks up at him.

"Why didn't you..ever tell anyone?"

"Better to face the hell that I know than the system."

He just stares at her for a few more seconds before he walks out towards the car. She sighs before reaching to grab the hamper filled with her clothes. He's already back from putting the boxes in the car by the time she reaches the door. Her eyes widen in surprise at how fast he seems to move. He takes the hamper from her to go put it in the backseat.

Once everything is loaded the two of them climb into the car. Mary Jane can't help but feel awkward because of what he just saw. He's now the one person who has seen her own private little hell. At least a glimpse of it anyway.

The campus is crammed with all of the students moving in. To put it simply it's one organized mess. Mary Jane and Peter go to grab some of her stuff. The two of them walk into Brittany hall after she gets her key. Her dorm room is on the second floor and Peter tells her that so is his. His room is only four away from her own. It takes them three trips to get all of her things into her room. From the looks of it, her roommate hasn't arrived yet. She ends up picking the bed that is on the right side.

* * *

Life on campus is everything that Mary Jane thought it would be. At least that's what she has come to realize after a week or so of classes. She has made friends with her roommate, a girl named Lacy. Most days the two of them eat lunch together and talk about everything. Her classes are all great, the professors are nothing like the high school teachers she's used to. She's actually able to relax and not have to worry. Of course there are some nights where her dad calls, drunk. He slurs on about how she needs to come back, she can't stay there.

There's only been one or two times that she's seen Peter. She can't tell if he is enjoying college life like she is. He always seems to be in a hurry,running like a chicken with it's head cut off. She's rarely seen him at night and she wonders if he's staying at his Aunt's. She would understand that since she is sure that he's worried about her being alone. Hell she's almost worried about May being alone even if May isn't her family.

That's why one day she decides to go visit May. It's a day that she doesn't have any classes. She takes the train to her old neighborhood. Her dad won't be at their house since she knows he's working. That's also the only other reason that she has decided to go. There's no way she would if it meant running into her old man. Only when she's walking off the train does she realize that May might not even be home either. She sighs at the thought but figures that it doesn't matter.

At least she got away from campus for a while. She reaches her old neighborhood and walks up the front steps to May's home. It takes her a second before she actually knocks. Minutes tick by before the door opens to show a smiling May.

"Oh! Mary Jane!"

Mary Jane nods and can't help but smile back," Hi May, I figured I would stop by," she pauses," Is that okay?"

It's no surprise when May nods and ushers her inside. Soon the two of them are sitting at the kitchen table with cups of lemonade in front of them. It's only a matter of time before it gets cold again so everyone is enjoying the nice weather while it lasts.

"It's good to see you," says May and Mary Jane can tell she means it," How is college going?"

Mary Jane shrugs, taking a few sips," It's going really good, I really like my classes and my roommate is nice."

For the first time Mary Jane realizes she actually likes how her life is going. Only because for the first time everything is going okay for once. She doesn't have to worry about anyone but herself. She gets to just live her own life however she wants.

"That's good to hear sweetheart, I'm happy for you."

"Yeah," says Mary Jane with a smile," So, um, how's Peter doing? I haven't really seen him around campus that much and he lives on my floor."

May sighs at the mention of her nephew and Mary Jane instantly knows that something is up. Granted she had the feeling but now it's confirmed. Something is up with Peter and his Aunt knows it. Maybe she doesn't know about it but it's something.

"He's..still struggling," explains May, a sad look in her eyes," Ever since Gwen passed he hasn't been the same. I know that he's trying but sometimes I wonder if he really will ever be happy again."

Mary Jane can't help but feel almost like it's wrong for her to hear this. Only because she isn't sure Peter would want her to know and the two of them have just started to talk. Yet she can't bring herself to say anything and just listens as May goes on.

"He's spent most nights here but I know he goes to his classes, it almost seems like he's going through the motions. I don't know, I know how hard it was for me when Ben passed on but I just hope he'll be able to move on someday."

"It'll just take time," states Mary Jane without even thinking about what she's saying.

"Yes, it just takes time."

* * *

The minutes seem to go by like hours for Mary Jane as she sits in the library. Her first big test is coming up and she's extremely worried. Which is why she's decided to spend every free second she has, studying. She's made herself comfortable in a corner on the second floor. Of course she brought plenty of energy drinks to keep herself awake and had Subway for dinner.

She barely even looks up when someone walks by. Her eyes are completely focused on her book and her lap top. Sometimes it's hard for her to study because she never took it seriously in high school. Grades weren't important to her but she knows it's important for her to pass these classes. If she gets her degree it will open many doors for her and that's what she needs. The world of broadway was beckoning and she wanted to be up on that stage more than anything.

"Mary Jane," says a voice, making her jump.

There stands Peter with books tucked underneath his arm. He looks just about as drained as she feels. She sits up somewhat straighter and lets the book fall onto her lap.

"Peter."

He seems to take that as an invitation because he plops down beside her. His eyes drink in the sight of her. She's wearing a pair of sweat pants and a white tank top with a gray hoodie. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun and there isn't a trace of make up on her face. Normally she takes pride in her appearance but she knows that academics are more important.

"How many of those have you had?" he asks, motioning towards the empty cans of Red Bull.

Mary Jane looks up to see what he's talking about and shrugs," Um," she pauses," Five?"

He shakes his head at her and reaches to take the book from her grasp. She stares at him like he has suddenly grown four heads.

"Time to go back to our dorm."

He is grabbing her things and packing them into her bag. Suddenly she's being yanked up to her feet by him. Her foot catches on the floor and she stumbles right into his chest. He catches her with ease even while holding books and her bag.

"Peter, I have to study," she states even though her voice shows how tired she is.

She knows that she is on the verge of crashing. She can feel it but she's fighting it as hard as she can. He ignores her protests and just leads her out of the library. Together they walk out and she is half asleep by the time that they reach their building. He all but has to drag her up the staircase and to her confusion he isn't taking her to her room. Instead she finds herself being led into his dorm room. That's when it hits her, she's in Peter's dorm room.

He has set down his stuff on his desk and he turns to see her looking around. His roommate, a guy named Lucas is always gone. Something about a girlfriend who has her own private room. Which was an immense relief for Peter since he doesn't have to worry. The only time he sees Lucas is when he stops by in the morning to get his books or more clothes.

Mary Jane can't help but take a look around at everything. His wall is covered in all kinds of photos. A lot of them are pictures of Gwen. Some are just of her but others are of the two of them together. There are some of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Of course there are some of him with his Aunt and Uncle. She finds herself staring at each and every one of them. Her eyes land on a picture of a little boy with a man and a woman, all three of them smiling.

She reaches out to run her fingers along it," Are these your parents?"

Everyone knows that his parents are dead. Mary Jane just never found out what happened. She knows that it was some kind of accident.

He nods slowly, coming to stand behind her," Yeah, that's my mom and dad."

Her attention goes down to one of the photos of him and Gwen. It's from graduation day and the two of them are giving the camera their cheesiest smiles possible. She can still remember graduation day like it was yesterday. She remembers how she was probably the only one who didn't have any family there. Instead the people who congratulated her were Flash's family. She hadn't had the heart to tell them that she and Flash weren't together at the time.

"Do you still take pictures?"

Peter nods and motions towards his desk again. That's when she realizes that there is a camera right next to his lap top. There are even more photos on his desk. Some of them are in frames which May bought for him. His lap top is open and it looks like has been going through photographs that he uploaded. To her surprise she sees that there are a few photos of her.

One of them actually looks like it's from high school. She's up on the stage in it with Flash right beside her. She remembers that night perfectly because she had played Juliet in their school's production of Romeo and Juliet. In her left arm she has the bouquet of roses that Flash bought for her. It was his way of apologizing for cheating on her with one of the school's bimbo cheerleaders.

The other two photos are ones of her on campus. She can't help but stare at them since she had no idea that he was even taking them. The first one she is in the quad with her group of new friends. She's laughing at something that was said and they are throwing leaves at each other. The other one is one of just her, sitting outside of the library on the steps. Her head is bent over and she actually looks focused on what she's reading.

"When did you take these?" she finally asks, looking over her shoulder at him.

Peter shrugs, suddenly feeling awkward," I was uh, just messing around with my camera, figured I could take pictures for the school."

She nods before turning away from his desk," Okay so can I go to my room now?"

He shakes his head and motions for her to sit. She rolls her eyes but does like he wants. Her legs swing back and forth, her feet grazing the carpet. A small sigh coming from her before she looks over at him. He looks like he wants to say something but he doesn't speak.

"I'd like..to be friends with you MJ," he states finally after what feels like an eternity.

Her head snaps up when she realizes what he's said. He wants to be friends with her? Is that why he's acting so strange? She forces herself to nod and she scoots to get closer to him.

"We will be friends then," she says with a shrug," Best friends even if you really want to be."

He laughs at her words and for the first time it seems like it's not a fake laugh. There is actual emotion and she smiles. It's good to know that he can still laugh after everything. There's the distant sound of sirens and he visibly tenses.

"You can just stay here, study more but I think you should sleep," he says, standing up," I'll go get some food I didn't, uh, didn't eat dinner."

Just like that he's gone and Mary Jane is left alone. She finds herself falling onto Peter's bed. His sheets smell like laundry detergent. If she has to guess it's because May is insisting on doing his laundry still. Most guys don't seem to know how to even operate a washer. Without even meaning to she curls up on her side and soon sleep claims her.

* * *

Peter all but ran from Brittany hall the moment he heard the sirens. He feels bad leaving Mary Jane in his room but he had responsibilites. Ones that he can't walk away from. He quickly shed his clothes to show the suit underneath. It was only a matter of seconds before he has the mask tugged on. There are some days that he wishes he wasn't Spiderman but he knows that it's a part of him. One that he will never be able to walk away from.

He finds himself getting closer and closer to the sirens. He is perched on a rooftop of one of the many buildings. Of course he's crouched down and he tries to see what's going on. It seems like there's been more and more crime since the night at the clocktower. He knows it has something to do with Oscorp but he doesn't know what. Harry is safely locked away in Ravencroft as far as he knows. It's an immense relief for him when he sees it's just a good old fashioned bank robbery.

The two men are in a car that if he has to guess is stolen. There's the sound of bullets being shot and the police are chasing after them. There's at least four squad cars on their tail. He knows that there are some people in New York that think he shouldn't interfere. Half the time though if he didn't the criminals would get away with everything. It wasn't that he didn't have respect for the police but sometimes they needed some help getting the job done.

He takes a deep breath before flinging himself off of the roof. Webs shoot out from his wrist so that he swings right on top of the roof of the car. He can hear the men yelling at each other. One of them blaming the other about how they shouldn't have done that. The other man was saying they had known the risk and yet they had still done it. Honestly their conversation was honestly amusing. He rolled forward to hit the hood of the car and soon he was staring right at them.

"Hey there! How's it going?"

His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Instantly the man behind the wheel slammed on the break in hopes of throwing him off. Of course that didn't work since Peter was still right there. He was grinning underneath the mask at how frightened they look. It was a good thing that criminals realized that they should be scared. They never seemed to be scared of the police but they sure were scared of him.

"You guys took something that is not yours didn't you?"

Webs shoot out through the space where the window should have been. Bullets broke the glass so now it was just an empty space. The webs caught onto the driver's hands and forced them to stay on the steering wheel.

"Now how about we pull over? What do you say guys?"

They instantly began to yell, cursing at him. He didn't say anything but instead shot out more web. It went over the men's mouths. The guns were dropped and the one who still had use of his hands tries to rip it away. While the driver was trying to focus on driving inspite of the obvious fear in his eyes. The police are right behind them, just waiting for their chance.

Even though the public seems to have some form of hatred for him. He knows that the police force respect him and actually like his help. If he wasn't around than he knew that a lot more crime would be happening. No city was perfect and there would always be criminals. However Peter knew that because of him crime had gone down at least a little.

* * *

It is only a matter of minutes before the two men are taken in custody. Peter shakes some hands before he takes off, heading right back to Empire State. He makes sure to change back into his normal clothes and the mask gets shoved into his bag just before he reaches Brittany Hall. That's when it hits him, he said he was going to get food. A groan falls from his lips before he jogs to the nearest dining hall.

After getting some pizza and two bottles of soda, he heads back to his dorm. It's a relief when he steps into the door and drops his backpack. He turns, about to announce that he brought dinner. Only by the time that he turns he realizes that Mary Jane is sound asleep. She's curled up in his bed and the blankets are over her frame. He can't help but stare, knowing it's been a long time since he's had a girl in his bed.

He goes to put the pizza in the mini fridge along with the soda. Part of him isn't sure what to do. Since he thought that she would go right back to studying. That's when he remembers, she did say she had quite a few energy drinks. He has the feeling that even if he tries to wake her up, it would be pointless. From the looks of it she's dead to the world. He slowly goes over to his lap top and takes a seat.

He opens his browser to go to the Daily Bugle's site. Just like all the other newspapers they also post their paper online. The headline that he sees makes him tense up. It reads _HARRY OSBOURN RELEASED_. Peter feels his stomach lurch and he forces himself to look down past the headline. Underneath it is a photo of Harry himself, in a suit and getting into a towncar.

Peter doesn't bother reading the article and instead slams the lap top shut. How is it possible that Harry got out? After what he did that night? It's Harry fault that Gwen is dead and Peter doesn't know what he's going ot do. He slowly stands up and goes to shut the light off. After changing out of his clothes he puts on a pair of sweat pants but nothing else. Without thinking he goes to climb over Mary Jane with ease and crawls under the blanket.

It might be a bad idea for him to lay down in the same bed with her. He could always sleep in Lucas' bed but that seems like it would be bad too. Instead his arm goes around her and he lets his eyes close. Right at that moment he just needs to be close to her. Mary Jane is the only person that he's let himself get close to even if it doesn't seem like it. It is hard for him to let anyone in but he's trying.

It doesn't seem like it but he's trying.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I realize it's been a while since I updated! I lost my muse but it's back! This chapter is extremely short but I hope you guys like it! Again, the chapters will get longer as time goes on! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and favorited it! Please keep reviewing and thank you for taking the time to read this!**

* * *

All of the headlines are about how Henry Osbourn has been released. Even the school's newspaper has his photo on the front page. Peter can't help but feel anxious anytime he sees the photos. He doesn't know what's going to happen but he knows something will. It's just a feeling he has, deep in the pit of his stomach. Yet he forces himself to keep going to classes and act like everything is fine. He always goes to see Aunt May and makes sure that she has everything she needs. Then there is Mary Jane, who he has only seen a few times since the night she spent in his dorm.

He feels nervous every single time he even thinks about his old friend. Some part of him worries that Harry is going to make a move. It's all so confusing and he doesn't even know what's going to happen. Of course he has no one that he can talk to about this. The only person that knew about his second life is gone and there are times he goes to visit where she is buried and he talks. Deep down he knows that she isn't listening, that she isn't there. It's just her body buried six feet under with a headstone above it.

Every day he listens to the police scanner and there are a few times that he does go out in his suit. Since Harry's release he has gotten nervous about going out as Spiderman. It's a waiting game and Peter has the feeling it's going to drive him insane. He has no choice since he can't make a move. He has to just see if something happens and try to be prepared.

"Peter? Peter are you alright?" asked May, staring at her nephew.

He quickly snaps out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice and nods. Once a week he always tries to stop by so that they can have dinner together. He knows that she doesn't like being in an empty house. She was so used to having two men to take care of, to talk to. She always says she doesn't mind the peace and quiet but he doesn't beleive her. Why would he?

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just tired."

It isn't a total lie. The previous night he was out till about one because of a hostage situation. By the time he got back to campus it was one thirty. Even though he wanted to sleep he had a report to finish for his eight am class. He has had about ten cups of coffee throughout the day and he still feels like he needs more. His leg bounces up and down as he looks down at his plate.

"You need to sleep more Peter," she tells him, taking a few sips of her water," Have you spent any time with Mary Jane?"

The question doesn't surprise him.

He shrugs as he picks at the food left on his plate," We hang out a little, she's busy with classes and she has other friends."

At least he thinks she does. Usually when he sees her around campus she is with someone or a even a group of people. He remembers how she was a bit of a social butterfly in high school. Of course she had to be considering she was dating Flash.

"She's a very nice girl," states May, giving him a pointed look.

"I know she is Aunt May," he says, looking over at her with his eye brows raised. He can already tell the direction that the conversation is going to go.

May reaches to wipe at her mouth with her napkin," And she's very pretty."

"I agree, she is."

Before she can try to even say something more, Peter has jumped up to his feet and gone to rinse his dishes off. He knows that May wants him to start dating but he can't quite stomach the idea of it. Not after losing Gwen who he honestly thought he was going to marry.

* * *

Mary Jane is absolutely happy the moment she finishes up her shift at the bar. It was a fairly easy shift and she did make some good tips. Now she has the night free and she isn't sure what to do with it. Most of her friends have already made plans, going out together on a group date. They invited her before she went to work but she told them it was okay. She doesn't exactly feel like being a third wheel.

She reaches to zip up her jacket and begins to walk down the street. Her hands slide into her pockets and she doesn't seem to pay attention to anything around her. If she has to guess she is going to end up just going to her dorm after grabbing some food and having a date with netflix. She has started watching the show Dexter and so far it seems pretty decent.

Back in high school she was always out on Friday nights. Usually Flash was taking her out or she was out with her friends. A small part of her is tempted to call up Flash because she knows he's still in the city. Although she has the feeling it would just put her in a bad situation. She shakes her head at her own thoughts because she knows she shouldn't open that door again.

Once she is on the train she takes out her phone and plugs her ear buds into them. One of them goes into her ear as she turns on some music. There aren't many people on the train and no one seems to notice her. That suits her fine since she always hates being forced to be sandwiched between two people. She leans her head back and takes a deep breath.

Soon she's walking onto campus and stopping at a dining hall. She decides on getting some baked zitti and garlic bread along with a soda. Once she's paid for her food she goes back to her dorm. After a few minutes she has netflix on and is sitting in her bed. Her shoes are kicked off and she's wearing one of Flash's old shirts and a pair of plaid shorts.

She takes a few bites of her food and leans back against her pillows. Sometimes she still can't believe how different her life is now that she is in college. No more yelling, no more broken furniture. About two episodes in there's a knock on her door.

The sound actually makes her jump and she bites down on her lip," It's open."

The only time she ever locks her dorm is when she is sleeping. Her door swings open to show Peter standing there. He looks over his shoulder before looking back at her. Instantly she regrets having changed into her pajamas.

"Peter," she says in shock, sitting up somewhat," What's going on?"

He bites down on his lip and looks down at the ground," I was, uh, wondering if you would like to, um, maybe go for a walk? I was thinking of maybe getting some hot chocolate."

He is nervous, so fucking nervous.

"Oh," she says, surprised but trying to hide it," Let me just get changed, give me like five minutes?"

He nods before reaching to shut the door. He didn't even step inside, it just felt awkward.

She quickly strips off her pajamas and goes to find something in her closet. Eventually she settles on a white long sleeve thermal, skinny jeans and a red scarf tied around her neck. She pulls her hair back into a bun before pulling on her boots and walking outside after grabbing her keys.

"Ready to go," she states, after shutting and locking the door.

Peter is leaning up against the wall, chewing on his finger nail. He looks up at the sound of her voice and nods. Together they begin to walk towards the staircase. After heading down the many flights of stairs they are walking out of their building and off campus.

They stop at Starbucks to grab two cups of hot chocolate before just walking around. Mary Jane glances over at him as they do walk. Part of her wants to ask if this is a date but she knows better. She knows it would just make this extremely awkward.

"You saved me from a night of netflix and junk food so thank you for this," she says after a few more minutes of silence passes by.

Peter laughs at her words and nods," You saved me from a night of horrible cable TV so thank you for agreeing."

"So how is May doing?"

She figures that it will be best to stick to small talk. At least until he decides to talk about more. Mary Jane knows that she shouldn't push. Even though it's been weeks since Gwen passed he's still fragile.

"She's good, she asked me about you," he tells her even though it isn't exactly the truth," This is going to sound weird but she, uh, she was basically hinting that I should go on a date with you."

Her eyes widen at his words and she almost spits out her drink. She reaches to cover her mouth before she does and glances over at him. Part of her wants to think it's a joke but from the look on his face it isn't.

"So is this a date?"

The question is out of her mouth before she can stop herself.

"No! I mean-I'm not saying that I would mind going on a date with you, I just-it's-I'm not ready."

Part of Mary Jane instantly regrets the question. Instead of saying anything more she reaches to hook her arm though his.

"Come on, lets go to the movies, the night is young and I do not want to go back on campus."

Together they walk and neither of them notices the sedan following them from a distance. They certainly don't see the camera that is snapping pictures of them.

* * *

"What can I get for you?" asks Mary Jane, not even looking up as she goes to fill cups with ice.

The bar is jam packed with people. She wasn't even supposed to be working but she knows she needs the cash.

"Scotch."

Her head snaps up the moment she hears the order. Hardly anyone ever orders scotch and they certainly don't serve it. To her surprise she sees a nicely dressed man who looks to be about her age. He's handsome and he's looking at her intently.

"I'm sorry but we don't serve scotch," she tells him after she snaps out of it.

He laughs a little but doesn't seem surprised," I'll have a bloody mary then."

She nods and goes to make the drink. All the while trying to make the drinks for the waitresses that have come up to put their orders in. It's almost insane how many people have come into their bar tonight. It's good but bad at the same time.

Mary Jane slides the bloody mary his way," That'll be four dollars."

He slaps down a hundred dollar bill to her confusion," The rest is for you."

"Um," she says, staring down at the money," You don't have to do that."

"But I can and I want to," he says with a smile and he holds his hand out to her," Harry Osbourn."

Her eyes widen the moment he says his name. She can't help but feel stupid at the fact that she didn't instantly know who he was. She has seen his pictures all over the tabloids for weeks. He's the heir to his father's company, one of the richest men in the world.

"Mary Jane Watson," she states, wiping her hands off before shaking his hand," It's nice to meet you Harry."

* * *

The night progresses and he doesn't leave. In fact he stays right in his seat, nursing his drink. Every once in a while he talks to her when she is making drinks right where he is. She doesn't understand what someone like Harry Osbourn is doing in a bar like this. She would have thought he would be at some five star club that you have to be on a list for. Or better yet he would be on a private jet headed to Europe for the weekend with some models.

Instead he is at a sports bar where the women dress in spanx and cut off tops. When it slows down Mary Jane finds herself restocking the bar and wiping everything down.

"What time do you get off?" he asks, tilting his head.

Mary Jane shrugs, placing glasses back beneath the bar," Right around now."

"Can I offer you a ride?"

His question throws her. Why would someone like him want to give her a ride home? It's confusing and she doesn't know if she should accept.

"I live on campus at Empire State."

"I have a friend who goes there," he says, feigning surprise," Do you know a Peter Parker?"

How does he know Peter? Also why wouldn't Peter mention him before?

"Uh, yeah I do actually," she says, standing up straight," We used to be neighbors and now we live in the same building."

"Then I really do insist on giving you a ride to campus."

That's how she ends up in the back of a town car after changing into her street clothes. The entire drive Harry asks tons of questions about her. Some of them seem rather personal but Mary Jane tries to answer them as best she can without giving away too much.

The car pulls up in front of the building. She looks over at Harry after a few seconds go by.

"Thanks for the ride."

He reaches to open the door before the driver gets out," I'll walk you in."

She can't even try to protest because he is helping her out of the car. He's all but dragging her into the building and onto her floor. Peter is just reaching his room with a laundry basket in his arms filled with neatly folded clothes. The moment he sees her and Harry the basket drops from his hands.

"Peter, long time no see," says Harry, a smirk appearing on his face.

Before Mary Jane knows what's happening Peter has grabbed her arm and yanked her behind him.

"Stay away from her Harry," he hisses, shielding her even though she doesn't understand why.

"What are you doing?" she asks, looking up at his face and then looking back at Harry.

Harry fakes looking shocked, his hand clutching at his chest," Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Get out of here," states Peter, making sure that Mary Jane is still behind him," Now."

Harry reaches to take out a small note pad and an ink ball point pen. He scribbles down his number, intentionally reaches around Peter and slips the paper into Mary Jane's palm.

"Call me," he tells her before Peter actually shoves him away.

Mary Jane can't help but stare at him," Peter! What the fuck?"

He isn't speaking and instead just watches as Harry walks away. Once Harry is down the stairs he turns and grabs her by her shoulders.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She reaches to pull his hands from her frame," What the fuck was that about?"

"Stay away from him."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey look another update! I am happy to see that people are liking this still in spite of how slow this is going! I am trying to figure out how to push it along and all of that! Hopefully you guys continue to like this! Please keep up with the reviews! Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed or favorited it! Enjoy this chapter and please review!**

* * *

Mary Jane isn't sure what to say to Peter. The two of them are still standing there, right in front of his dorm. The laundry basket is tipped over at their feet, his clothes now scattered. He is staring at her intently and she's never seen him look so serious. She knows that he is waiting for her to say that she will do what he wants, that she will stay away from Harry. However she doesn't know why she would and it doesn't seem like Peter is going to explain himself.

"What the fuck was that?" she finally asks, motioning towards where Harry was standing," That was something Flash would do! I don't even know what your problem is with Harry but you can't tell me to stay away from him!"

She knows she shouldn't yell but sometimes her temper gets the best of her. It's a common flaw in her family only hers isn't fueled by alcohol. Before Peter gets the chance to say something she just shoves past him to go into her own room. She hears Peter shout her name but she just slams the door behind her and makes sure to lock it.

The sound of the door slamming makes Lacy jump. Mary Jane realizes that she thankfully didn't wake her roommate up but has clearly scared her.

"Are you okay MJ?"

She shakes her head as she drops her messenger bag and kicks off her shoes," I'll be fine."

It's nothing that a nice hot shower won't fix. After she slips off her clothes she puts on her bathrobe and grabs her shower caddy. Hopefully Peter is already in his room because she does not want to talk to him. In fact she doesn't even want to see his face. The last thing that she expected was for him to act like the other men in her life.

Honestly she can't believe he told her to stay away from someone. It is something that Flash would do and she couldn't stand it. After talking with Lacy for a few minutes she ventures out to the hall. It's deserted and that's quite a relief. She heads towards the girl's bathrooms, sliding her ID to get inside. The light flashes from red to green and she steps inside.

No one else is around and she heads straight towards the shower stalls. She puts her towel on the hook before shedding her robe. Once she turns the water on and it warms up, she steps underneath the shower head. Her hands rest on the tile as she lets the water run over her body. In her mind she keeps replaying the situation and she doesn't know what to think.

Peter all but throws his laundry basket to the floor the moment he steps back in his room. Without thinking his fist makes contact with the wall. He should have known, he should have realized that something like this would happen. He should have realized that Harry would somehow make a move. What he didn't expect was that it would involve Mary Jane.

How in the world could Harry have known about her? That's when it clicks, Harry's been having him followed. That's the only logical explanation. Instantly Peter's looking out the window to see if there is some car parked outside of the building. The street is empty save for the bikes that are locked up at the bike rack. He curses under his breath, turning away and running his hands through his hair.

Once again he feels helpless. He's reminded of the night of the clock tower and how he wasn't able to do anything. He can't afford to lose anyone else. He doesn't want to see something happen to Mary Jane because of him. The last thing he wants is to see her lifeless body in his arms because he failed. His gaze goes towards the pictures on his wall. They land on the one of him and Gwen on graduation day.

He thought that he might be able to be okay again. However when he looks at that picture that used to make him smile all he can think is that he's never going to be okay. He doesn't know why he thought he would be. He doesn't know why he thought that he could get close to Mary Jane. It was all stupid, it was just a horrible idea. Gwen's father was right about him gaining enemies.

Not even his mask can protect Mary Jane. It can't protect the ones he loves because Harry knows the truth. Harry knows that he is spiderman.

* * *

Mary Jane's finger is shaking as she slides her finger along the screen of her phone. Her eyes are focused on the crumpled up piece of paper with Harry's number on it. It's been two days since that night and she isn't even sure why she's calling him. She hits the last number before pressing call and putting the phone up to her ear.

It rings a grand total of three times before she hears him pick up.

"Hello?"

Instantly she feels nervous, extremely nervous.

"Hi Harry, it's MJ-I mean Mary Jane."

A few seconds tick by before he speaks.

"I'm glad that you called, I was starting to think you wouldn't."

She knows why he is saying that but knows better than to say anything about it.

"I have been busy with class and work, otherwise I would have called sooner."

"Right well I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime."

Dinner? With Harry Osbourn?

"Um, are you asking me on a date?"

He actually laughs before responding," I believe I am."

"Can I think about it?"

For some reason it doesn't seem right to say yes. She knows that any other girl would have leaped at the chance. Harry Osbourn is one of the richest men in New York and he's young. It isn't likely that he'll stay single long.

"Sure, just let me know soon okay?"

Before she can respond there is a click and the line goes dead. Mary Jane takes a deep breath and stares at her phone. Did she just say maybe to a date with Harry Osbourn? He's a guy that she would have loved to date back when she was in high school. Someone who could take her out to fancy restaurants and maybe even help her get a start with her acting career.

She shakes her head before tossing her phone into her purse. Her head lifts to look around to see the people walking around. All of her classes have finished and she's just sitting outside with a cup of coffee. She's waiting on her friend Eric to show up so they can do their assignment together. He's also a drama major and they have a couple of classes together.

Someone is sitting down next to her and she looks to see it's Peter. He looks like he hasn't slept and she doesn't know if she should leave. A big part of her wants to get up and walk away before he can say anything. He actually reaches out to hold onto her arm as if he is reading her mind.

"Listen, I just-I need to talk to you."

"I don't need to talk to you," she states, not even thinking about it.

He actually lets out a groan at her reponse. He knows he should have anticipated this. She has a reason not to be happy with him but he can't explain it. She can't know his secret because of what could happen to her. So how can he fix this?

"Mary Jane please," he pleads, not letting go of her because he knows she's walk away," Can you come with me?"

She looks away from him in hopes of seeing Eric. However he is no where in sight and Peter is holding onto her arm like his life depends on it. She doesn't exactly know what to do. After a second she looks back over at Peter and takes a deep breath.

"Fine."

At first she thinks he's going to let her go. Instead he just stands and pulls her up with him. He lets go of her arm only to grab her hand. Clearly he is not going to let her get away like she had hoped he might. Instead she finds herself being led off campus. He guides her to the nearest subway station and she just gets on the train since she really doesn't have any choice.

She finds herself walking into the cemetery. Peter literally has not let go of her hand the entire time. It's honestly confusing to her. She doesn't know why he's brought her here. He hasn't said a word the entire time and she finds herself standing in front of Gwen's headstone.

"Peter why am I here?"

Peter really has no idea what he is doing. He's basically just winging this whole thing and he knows that it's likely it's going to go badly. How can he possibly explain this without telling her his big secret?

"I don't want you to end up here," he states, knowing it probably makes him sound insane," That's..why I acted the way that I did."

He doesn't want her to end up dead? Mary Jane just looks over at him in confusion. Honestly none of this is making sense and it's hard for her to wrap her head around it. She just wants to grab him by his shoulders and shake him. Of course she knows that's a bad idea and refrains from doing so. Instead she chooses to just look down at the headstone. At the base of it rests a bouquet of flowers. If she has to guess they are either from Peter or maybe Gwen's mother.

"Did you put those here?"

Peter looks to see what she's talking about since he has been staring at her. He didn't even notice the flowers up until he looks down. He hasn't brought flowers in a while and he knows that they aren't from Gwen's mother. Gwen's mother always brings roses and it looks to him like there are at least three dozen there. Who would leave that many flowers at Gwen's grave?

He slowly shakes his head after realizing that he hasn't said a word. Mary Jane sighs at the look on his face and turns to face him. Her arms reach to wrap around him for a few seconds before she pulls away.

"You can't protect me Peter, I protect myself," she tells him," I take care of myself, I always have."

Before he gets a chance to say anything she turns and walks away.

* * *

The Oscorp building can be described using many words. Yet the only one that crosses Mary Jane's mind is intimidating. It's not the first time she's seen it but it's the first time she's been up close to it. She remembers seeing it when the giant lizard attacked and the photos that had graced the newspaper. It was the same night that Gwen's father died. There are tons of people walking in and out, none of them seeming to notice her. She feels out of place standing there amongst the people dressed in business suits.

She's been standing there, staring for the past twenty minutes. At this rate she is starting to think that she should turn and go. But she knows that she came here for a reason and that's to talk to Harry. After taking a few deep breaths and straightening her shoulders she marches inside. The lobby is filled with people, all of them seeming to be in a hurry. Above the main desk is what looks like a screen of a woman talking about Oscorp and everything that they have been doing for the great city of New York.

After some more staring Mary Jane finally steps up to the desk and clears her throat," Hello, I'm here to see Harry Osbourn."

The woman doesn't even look up at her," Do you have an appointment?"

Instantly she feels like such an idiot for not thinking ahead. She just thought that seeing him face to face would make it easier. The fact that he's running a company seemed to have slipped her mind. She wants nothing more at that moment than to disappear .

"I-no-my name is Mary Jane Watson," she begins to explain," If you could just give him a call, I'm sure he'll tell you it's okay."

Before she has even finished her sentence a visitor's badge is being slid her way. Mary Jane's eye brows shoot up when she sees it. Instead of questioning it she reaches for it and clips it onto her shirt. After making sure it's in place she looks up at the woman, not sure where to go.

"Just go into the elevator and say you need to go to Harry's office."

Say it? Mary Jane shakes her head before she walks over to the elevators. It takes a few moments for one to open before she steps inside. It's a relief that it's empty and she turns to see another small screen with the same woman from the other screen in the lobby.

"Floor please."

"Harry Osbourn's office," she states, feeling like this is some kind of weird dream.

The elevator begins to move within a few moments. Mary Jane finds herself chewing on her thumb nail, her nerves beginning to get to her. The elevator doesn't stop on any of the other floors. Instead it only makes the one stop and she's told that she has arrived. It takes her a second to actually move and she finds herself walking towards another desk.

Seated behind it is a young woman with dark brown hair and dressed entirely in black. She looks up from her computer to Mary Jane and instantly stops typing.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Harry Osbourn," she states after taking a deep breath," I'm Mary Jane Watson."

The woman nods and to Mary Jane's surprise she stands. She assumes she has to follow and she does as the woman walks over to the double doors. She pushes them open before motioning for her to go inside. Honestly Mary Jane thught that she was going to have to wait a while. Surely someone as important as Harry would be busy all the time when he was at work.

To her surprise it's just Harry sitting in his office. She had thought that he might have been in a meeting with others. He looks up and she notices the surprise on his face.

"I hope it's okay that I stopped by," she says after a few seconds of silence.

The doors are closed behind her and than it's just the two of them.

He quickly stands and walks over to where she is," I'm glad that you did."

"I just wanted to tell you that as much as I would love to go on a date with you," she begins to say," I'm thinking that it wouldn't be good, I am not the type of girl you would want on your arm."

She has thought about this over and over since he asked her to dinner. Honestly she feels like such an idiot for even saying no or explaining herself. Why did she think this was a good idea to tell him face to face? Maybe a phone call or even a text would have been better.

"Mary Jane," he begins to speak, reaching for her hands," I don't care about where you come from, I would just like to get a chance to get to know you even if it's just as friends."

Something tells her that he is going to be stubborn. That there will not be a way in hell she will leave unless she agrees to go to dinner with him.

"Just as friends then," she agrees, pulling her hands from his," I work for the next three nights but what about lunch on Sunday?"

He agrees before telling her that he will have his driver pick her up and take her to the restaurant that is his choice. It's clear from the tone of his voice that he will be the one paying and she will not get to argue with him about it.

It's a relief when she finally leaves his office, ignoring the woman behind the desk. It feels like it's takes forever for her to get out of the building. She all but runs towards the subway station and only starts to relax when she is on the train.

* * *

Peter hates feeling helpless and that's exactly how he feels every time he sees Mary Jane. He's not sure how to handle the situation. He wants to try to talk to her, to make her understand. Honestly he doesn't see why she can't just trust him. Than again he's never given her a reason to trust him. They were just starting to get to know each other more and now that's ruined.

He tries to bury himself in his work and trying to figure out what Harry has planned. He is just waiting for something to happen and he knows it's only a matter of time. He wants to be able to prevent anything from happening but he knows it's a waiting game. He forces himself to actually be social and make an effort to make more friends on campus.

He is running across campus to head back to his dorm to meet up with his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend. It's early in the afternoon and they had talked about going to see a movie. His roommate's girlfriend also said she would bring one of her friends so that Peter didn't feel like a third wheel. Of course she made sure to make it very clear to her friend that it wasn't a date. Lucas wasn't around much but he knows that Peter is not ready to date someone.

Just as the building comes into view he sees a town car parked right in front of it. The driver is standing outside of it and seems to be waiting on someone. A group of girls are gathered by the entrance of the building and they are all pointing and staring at the car. Instantly his stomach sinks as he forces himself to walk across the street.

"That has to be Harry Osbourn's car," stated one of the girls," I asked the driver and he said it was! I wonder who he is waiting on!"

Peter's jaw clenches since he knows exactly who. He knows that he shouldn't do or say anything stupid. He wants to just walk into the building to get changed. Before he can force himself to do that, Mary Jane comes walking out of the doors. His eyes widen when he sees how she's dressed.

She has on a simple white top with a plum colored skirt. Her hair which he has usually seen down is done in a simple braid. There are a few bracelets on her arms and she has on a leather jacket. His gaze travels down her legs which seem to go on for days in that skirt. Her shoes are a pair of heels that he fears she could break her ankle wearing.

"Mary Jane!"

His hand slaps over his mouth the moment he realizes what he's done. Her head turns and she looks surprised to realize it was him that yelled her name. Some part of him thinks she'll pretend she didn't hear him and just keep walking. To his delight and surprise she begins to walk over to him.

"Are you okay?"

He nods, realizing his hand is still over his mouth," What are you doing?"

"I'm meeting Harry for lunch."

The way she says it so casually makes him want to groan. She knows that he will not be happy but he has the feeling she doesn't care.

"I told you that you should stay away from him."

"I don't really care what you told me since I am old enough to make my own choices," she states, glancing towards the driver who they both realize is watching them with interest.

"Just," he begins and without thinking grabs her purse.

She goes to grab it back but he's already going through it. It takes him a few seconds before his fingers close around her phone and he pulls it out. The purse is shoved back into her hands and he enters his number, saving it.

"If anything happens, call me, I don't care if it's for a ride or if you are just uncomfortable," he states, his tone showing that there is no room for protest," Promise me you will."

She stares at him for a few seconds in confusion before she nods," Thanks Pete."

He has no choice but to watch as she walks away from him and goes to get into the town car. The driver tips his hat in Peter's direction before he goes to climb into the driver's seat. He bites down on his lip, feeling his heart race the moment the car begins to pull from the curb.


End file.
